Black Gladdo

The deep sea of Eryobis is a large and scarcely studied habitat, yet it is also likely one of the most biodiverse. ROV expdeditions and deep sea fishing by both researchers and natives continuously bring up extraordinary and strange animals.

When one goes deep sea fishing in the Vyaris Ocean, a fish that is often caught at mesopelagic depths is the black gladdo (Eryobalepus atratus). This up to 40cm long deep sea bunnyfish seems to be quite common in these deep tropical waters. Stomach contents of these fish have revealed that they are not picky eaters and will feed on whatever they think they can fit in their mouths, which seem to be able to open up very widely and can expand to twice the width of the head.

The phylogenetic placement of gladdos is a bit unclear, as they possess a mixture of primitive and derived traits and have therefore been placed in their own branch on the family tree.

Dacruon bathynectes

The Voûlic Ocean located near- and on the south pole of Eryobis has, on average, the coldest waters in the world. Even though barely any permanent sea ice exists, surface temperatures are known to drop below 0°C in winter. The cold waters of the Voûlic however, are also very oxygen- and nutrient rich, resulting in the south polar ocean being some of the most productive waters on Eryobis. Many peculiar organisms can be found in the chilly depths at the southern end of the world, with some more rare than others. 

The waters are often too cold and potentially dangerous for human explorers to dive into, so ROVs are typically employed on expeditions here. ROVs often only ever encounter small invertebrates or small fish too slow to flee from the lights, but on occasion, the ROV may encounter something more rare.

On one such encounter, the ROV came across a kind of fish that had never been seen or heard of. Measuring between 3 and 4 meters long and shaped like long tailed tear drop, the Dacruon bathynectes, still lacking a common name, is very large kind of bunnyfish, as could be determined by the placement of its pectoral- and pelvic fins. 

The enormous fish was found at a depth of around 300 meters, just below the photic zone, slowly cruising with long movements of its tail. Because the fish moved so sluggishly, the ROV was able to place a tracker on its dorsal fin, which revealed that D. bathynectes performed vertical migration; spending the day time hours at depths between 200 and 500 meters and moving up around 30 meters deep during the night.

Footage of the fish's head revealed that it large, flat and blunt teeth within its thick, but deep jaws. This points to D. bathynectes being a durophage, feeding on hard shelled prey like mollusks and crustaceans. While no footage of the act of feeding, or evidence from washed up specimens exist, it is thought that Dacruon most likely relies on pelagic pectinauts as its main food source. The slow swimming nectonic scallops are known to perform vertical migration in other parts of the world's oceans, so it is not unreasonable to assume they might do the same in the cold waters of the Voûlic.

Trichasterops riaticus

In the depths of the Riatis Ocean in the north of Eryobis lives a funny looking creature. Akin to a small black squid with four large fins and six small tentacles tipped with bioluminescent bulbs. But it is no squid, it is in fact a type of nienktvis. 

Known as Trichasterops riaticus, this hand sized little fish is best known for its black, leathery skin and bioluminescent organs on the ends of their flattened barbels. It is theorized that these are used to lure and guide plankton and other prey towards its mouth in a similar manner to the lantern leviathan, of which it is suspected to be a close relative.

Not much is known about its lifestyle because it has never been properly observed in the wild. All we have of it are dead specimens that were trapped on deep lines and fleeting ROV footage often rarely more than a few second long. One thing we can say for sure is that Trichasterops are afraid of light, which could indicate that there are other, possibly larger predators in the abyss of the Riatis that also use bioluminescence to hunt.

 

Ægiric Whiskerlure

Five thousand meters below sea-level is hardly a place one would expect to find light.

Yet, when an ROV was sent down into the abyss of the Ægiric Ocean, it countered light.

Not just any light, but reddish orange light. A color that should have no place this deep underwater because most animals that live this deep cannot even perceive this color.

But that was the exact purpose of the creature the light was attached to.

The Ægiric whiskerlure (Xegeloichthys fotophoneus) is a species of nienktvis that is among the few Eryobian deep sea creatures capable of seeing red and orange light, a fact which it exploits to the fullest. By utilizing this "invisible" light, it is able to see its surroundings and prey quite clear, while its prey has no idea it is even there.

Art by BobsicleG

Although this is not actually completely true. The whiskerlure has another tool in its arsenal, one which it uses to lure its prey closer.

As the name might suggest, this abyssal nienktvis has a lure on the end of one of its whiskers. This lure however is far more complex than what is commonly seen in deep sea creatures. 

The lure itself is shaped like a small nienktvis.

This form of predatory mimicry is very rare and was only ever documented in certain squid and snake species from old Earth.

The lure of this species even has small bio photophores to create the illusion of eyes.

This lure, together with its use of "invisible light" make the Ægiric whiskerlure an excellent predator that uses its built-in headlights to spot its prey and then deploys its specialized barbel to lure its prey toward its mouth, where rows upon rows of sharp needle like teeth are waiting.

The Ægiric whiskerlure grows to around 13 centimeters long, making quite a sizable creature this deep below the waves.

 

Night-sky Fish

 Deep down, in the cold dark abyss of the Ægiric Ocean, lives a creature that looks like it should have no place in this mortal universe. 

Skin black as coal, sunken eyes through which no light shines. 
Massive translucent teeth and a face full of barbels that wriggle in every direction.

Yet at the tips of these fleshy whiskers are small bulbs of light.

The skin of this hideous creature soaks up all the light so all that can be seen are ten tiny lights, flickering like stars in the dark of night.

The identity of this monstrosity? 

It is actually just a night-sky fish (Vardichthys devorator), an abyssopelagic nienktvis barely 7 centimeters in length. 

Art by BobsicleG

This animal behaves much like an anglerfish from Earth. It hangs in the water column, waiting for prey to swim by and get attracted by its bioluminescent lures.

Its terrifying teeth serve not to impale or slash, but rather just to trap and make sure prey does not escape from its maw.

As with many other deep sea fish, it has a very flexible stomach that can expand to a great size to encompass a meal.

Not much else is known, for this creature was not observed in its natural habitat. Rather it was pulled to the surface when it became ensnared on a deep line.

Good for us so we can study it, less for it because it died from decompression sickness.